U.S. patent number 4,152,378 [Application Number 05/777,752] was granted by the patent office on 1979-05-01 for container closure having automatic opening means.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Baxter Travenol Laboratories, Inc.. Invention is credited to John L. Vcelka, David A. Winchell.
United States Patent |
4,152,378 |
Vcelka , et al. |
May 1, 1979 |
Container closure having automatic opening means
Abstract
A screw top closure for a container opening defining a helically
threaded neck, and a rotatable screw top positioned to permit
rotation by the screw top between outward and inward positions on
the neck. A sealing partition is positioned across the opening of
the neck. In accordance with this invention, an aperture is defined
in the sealing partition, the aperture being positioned in
off-center relation to the rotational axis of the screw top. A
sealing cap member is positioned across the aperture, with a
rupturable seal, facing the screw top. A projection is defined on
the side of the screw top facing the partition, being positioned to
be longitudinally spaced from the sealing cap member when the screw
top is in the outward position, and to engage the sealing cap
member when the screw top is rotationally advanced to its inward
position. Accordingly, the seal between the cap member and the
partition may be ruptured in aseptic manner by the projection, to
open the aperture.
Inventors: |
Vcelka; John L. (Zion, IL),
Winchell; David A. (Twin Lakes, WI) |
Assignee: |
Baxter Travenol Laboratories,
Inc. (Deerfield, IL)
|
Family
ID: |
25111148 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/777,752 |
Filed: |
March 14, 1977 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
261/121.1;
128/200.13; 215/DIG.3; 215/250; 220/278; 261/DIG.65; 220/258.4;
222/541.2; 222/91 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61J
1/05 (20130101); A61M 16/16 (20130101); A61M
16/209 (20140204); B65D 81/3222 (20130101); A61M
16/0666 (20130101); Y10S 215/03 (20130101); Y10S
261/65 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61J
1/00 (20060101); A61M 16/10 (20060101); A61M
16/16 (20060101); B65D 81/32 (20060101); A61M
16/06 (20060101); A61M 16/20 (20060101); A61M
015/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;220/258,256,278
;222/83,83.5,85,86,541,507 ;261/DIG.65,121,122 ;128/187,194,185,186
;215/250,253,DIG.3 ;D24/62 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Lutter; Frank W.
Assistant Examiner: Clements; Gregory N.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Flattery; Paul C. Kirby, Jr.; John
P. Ellis; Garrettson
Claims
That which is claimed is:
1. In a screw top closure for a container opening defined by a
helically threaded neck, a rotatable screw top, carried by said
threaded neck, having threads mating with the threads of said neck,
to permit movement of said screw top by rotation between an outward
position and an inward position on said neck, and a sealing
partition positioned across the opening of said neck, the
improvement comprising, in combination:
An aperture defined in said partition, said aperture being
positioned in off-center relation to the rotational axis of said
screw top; an upstanding sealing cap member with a rupturable seal
positioned across said aperture on the side of said partition
facing said screw top, and a projection defined on the side of said
screw top facing the partition, said projection being positioned to
be longitudinally spaced from said sealing cap member when the
screw top is in said outward position, and to engage said sealing
cap member when the screw top is rotationally advanced more than a
complete rotation to said inward position, to rupture the seal
between the cap member and the partition, to open said aperture,
said partition also defining an upstanding tube passing
transversely through said partition, said tube being generally
coaxial with the rotational axis of said screw top, said screw top
defining a spike member projecting toward said partition, said
spike member being also positioned in generally coaxial
relationship with said rotational axis, and a diaphragm member
positioned to obstruct the bore of said tube, whereby advancement
of said screw top by rotation from said outward position to the
inward position on said neck causes the spike to rupture said
diaphragm.
2. A humidifier for oxygen gas and the like which comprises a
liquid-containing reservoir container defining an inlet for oxygen
gas and the like, communicating with said upstanding tube, means
for conveying said oxygen gas through said upstanding tube in the
form of a multitude of bubbles into said liquid, and an outlet,
normally spaced from said liquid, for humidified gas, the
improvement comprising a screw top closure in accordance with claim
1.
3. The humidifier of claim 2 in which said gas inlet is positioned
to lead through said coaxially mounted spike, said coaxial tubular
member extending adjacent the bottom of said container to permit
the bubbling of gas entering said container through liquid
therein.
4. The humidifier of claim 3 in which the gas outlet path leads
through said off-center aperture in said partition, and thereafter
leads through said humidified gas outlet which is positioned in
off-center relation to the rotational axis on said screw top.
5. The humidifier of claim 4 in which the height of said sealing
cap member is greater than the width of said aperture in the
partition, to facilitate rupturing of said seal by said
projection.
6. The screw top closure of claim 1 in which the height of said
sealing cap member is greater than the width of said aperture in
the partition, to facilitate rupturing of said seal by said
projection.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This application relates to a closure for gas humidification
bottles, or any other desired container in which an inner closure
may be aseptically sealed prior to use, and then may be opened by
simple rotation of an outer screw closure.
Gas humidifiers are used in conjunction with oxygen gas therapy to
patients. Oxygen gas emerging from an oxygen tank has an extremely
low humidity. Accordingly, for the comfort and well-being of the
patient, the oxygen gas is generally bubbled through water prior to
being administered to the patient.
Conventional glass humidifcation canisters must be washed in
between uses, and can break. Furthermore, they become a source of
bacterial contamination over long use, especially when they have
not been adequately washed.
For this reason, disposable plastic humidification containers
having aseptic contents have enjoyed considerable commercial
success.
One such disposable humidifer is disclosed in Pekkarinen U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 558,601, filed Mar. 14, 1975 now issued
as U.S. Pat. No. 4,011,288. In this patent application, a screw top
closed container is provided with an inner sealing partition, and
an outer partition carrying a pair of spikes. A threaded nut member
drives the outer partitions toward the inner partition so that the
spikes pass through respective tubular sleeves to rupture
diaphragms for opening a gas inlet line to the container and a
humidified gas outlet path.
The invention of this application provides considerable
simplification of the structure necessary to permit opening of an
inner partition of a closure by rotation of an outer, threaded
member.
The invention of this application eliminates the need for the
parallel advancement of a pair of spikes to puncture a pair of
membranes as in the patent cited above, and also eliminates the
need for a multiple start thread advancement. Also, the parts of
this invention do not need to be carefully oriented during
assembly, as in the prior art.
Likewise, the device of this invention greatly reduces or
eliminates the "spitting" problem of drops of liquid water entering
the humidified gas outlet line. Such is, or course, most
undesirable when the outlet line leads directly to the breathing
apparatus of a patient being administered oxygen.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a screw top closure for a container
opening defining a threaded neck including a rotatable screw top,
carried by the threaded neck, and having threads mating with the
threads of the neck, to permit movement of the screw top by
rotation between an outward position and an inward position on the
neck. A sealing partition is positioned across the opening of the
neck.
In accordance with this invention, an aperture is defined in the
partition, positioned in off-center relation to the rotational axis
of the screw top. A sealing cap member is positioned across the
aperture, being attached with a rupturable seal to the side of the
partition facing the screw top.
A projection is defined on the side of the screw top facing the
partition, the projection being positioned to be longitudinally
spaced from the sealing cap member when the screw top is in its
outward position, and to engage the sealing cap member when the
screw top is rotationally advanced to the inward position.
Accordingly, at the inward position, the projection can be used to
push the cap member aside by rotation of the screw top, ripping it
loose about its rupturable seal and opening the aperture.
In this manner, the sealed aperture in an inner partition of a
closure member can be opened without ever exposing the inner
aperture to the exterior. Thus, aseptic conditions can be
maintained at the inner closure as the container is opened.
The closure of this invention may also define an upstanding tube
passing transversely through the partition positioned across the
neck, the tube being generally coaxial with the rotational axis of
the screw top. The screw top defines a spike member projecting
toward the partition, which is also positioned in generally coaxial
relationship with the rotational axis. A diaphragm member is
positioned to obstruct the bore of the tube in such a manner that
advancement of the screw top by rotation from its outward position
toward the inward position on the neck causes the spike to advance
through the upstanding tube to rupture the diaphragm.
In this manner, a second, aseptic opening can be provided to the
inner partition, one of the openings being useable as an inlet and
the other as an outlet for gas, or any other fluid as desired.
In the drawings,
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a gas humidification device made in
accordance with this invention.
FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the device of FIG. 1, with a
central portion of the container being omitted.
FIG. 3 is a partial vertical sectional view similar to FIG. 2,
showing the device in the process of being opened by rotational
advancement of the screw top to an inward position.
FIG. 4 is a partial vertical sectional view taken along line 4--4
of FIG. 3, and shown in a yet further advanced stage of rotational
advancement of the screw top, to illustrate the opening of the
closure.
Referring to the drawings, humidifier device 10 comprises a
container 12, which may desirably be made of plastic and is
disposable. The container shown is particularly adapted for
hospital use in oxygen administration therapy.
Container 10 defines an oxygen gas inlet port 14 which carries an
enlarged head 16, and a loose, threaded nut 18 in conventional
manner for attachment to an oxygen outlet at a hospital bedside.
Humidified gas outlet 20 comprises a serrated portion 22 for
attachment to a nasal cannula, and a pressure relief valve 24,
which may be a duck-bill type valve or the like.
Screw top 26 includes inner threads 28 which mate with threads 30
upon the neck 32 of container 12 in the manner of a conventional
threaded container lid as shown. Alternatively, more complex
threaded structures and arrangements may be utilized as well.
Screw top 26 is shown in FIG. 2 to occupy an outward position on
neck 32. By rotation of screw top 26, it is advanced downwardly
along the bottle neck to occupy an inward position thereon, as in
FIGS. 3 and 4, for opening of the container. A partition 34 is
positioned across the opening of neck 32. The periphery 36 of
partition 34 may rest upon the outer end of neck 32, being
typically attached at the outer end by an adhesive, or by solvent
or heat-sealing, or by spin or sonic welding.
Partition 34 defines an aperture 38, which is positioned in
off-center relation to the rotational axis 40 of screw top 26.
Sealing cap member 42 is positioned across aperture 38. Flange 44
of sealing cap member 42 is attached with a rupturable seal, such
as by an appropriate degree of heat sealing, or a solvent seal or
sonic seal, to the side of the partition 34 facing screw top 26.
Accordingly, sealing cap member 42 closes aperture 38, to prevent
fluid transmission through it until it is removed.
As shown, sealing cap member 42 is preferably designed to be of a
height which is greater than the diameter of aperture 38, to
provide an effective "target" for the projection 46 which is
attached to cap 26, and to provide good mechanical advantage for
rupturing of the seal member 42.
Projection 46 is shown in FIG. 2 as attached to the underside of
cap 26, and is shown to be longitudinally spaced from sealing cap
member 42 in the outward position of screw top 26. Specifically,
projection 46 is a hollow, integral extension of screw top 26.
When screw top 26 is rotated to advance toward an inward position,
projection 46 descends helically toward sealing cap member 42, to
engage it as shown in FIG. 3 and then, upon further rotation, as
shown in FIG. 4, to rip sealing cap member 42 loose from its
rupturable seal to open aperture 38.
Projection 46 and sealing cap member 42 can both be made out of
slightly flexible plastic, as the other parts of the container of
this invention may also be. However, if desired, projection 46 can
be made rigid so that it does not deflect while in the process of
ripping sealing cap member loose from its position about aperture
38.
Partition 34 also carries an upstanding tube 48 passing
transversely through the partition. Tube 48 is positioned to be
coaxial with rotation axis 40 of the screw top, and a diaphragm
member 50 is positioned within upstanding tube 48.
Screw top 26 carries a hollow spike member 52 projecting toward
partition 34, the spike member being also positioned in a coaxial
relationship with axis 40.
Tube 54 may be attached to upstanding tube 48. Tube 54 extends
toward the bottom of container 12, and may terminate in a porous
sparger member 56, to form small gas bubbles for increased
humidification thereof. Sparger member 56 may be made out of porous
plastic or ceramic material in a conventional manner.
Accordingly, as screw top 26 is advanced from its outward to its
inward position, spike 52 is correspondingly advanced to rupture
diaphgram 50, as shown in FIG. 3. Thus, the container of this
invention is fully opened by rotation of the screw top 26 to
provide a gas inlet path through inlet tube 14, spike 52, past
ruptured diaphragm 50, and through sparger tube 54, to bubble
through water 58 in container 12.
Thereafter, the humidified gas passes through aperture 38, which is
no longer blocked by sealing cap 42, thus passing through partition
34 to the humidified gas outlet 20, for administration to the
patient.
The above is for illustrative purposes only, and is not intended to
limit the scope of this invention, which is as defined in the
claims below.
* * * * *